And joy wept.

I begin to write this at the stroke of midnight of a day in history. A memorable day in history. Woefully, I write about something I didn't see as it happened, rather only heard of it as a capsule of things that went by. Anil Kumble wrote a very unlikely page in cricketing history, he became the first cricketer in Test cricketing history to have scored a century with more than 550 wickets as well to is credit. (Don't worry, I checked to make sure I wasn't bluffing).

Where was I? I was stuck in traffic. Kilometres of piled up traffic, thanks, probably to some no good jackass voted into authority for lack of a lesser evil. But I shall not be petty on the day of the Jumbo. Fate did not will me to watch a great sportsperson script history. I cannot fight fate, I am not Anil Kumble.

My mother had called me up when Kumble was 82 n.o. and I was riding home, hoping against hope he'd get to 3 figures. (Looking back, I feel rather proud of myself, I wished he get the century than me being able to watch it... ). Traffic denied me the pleasure of screeching in joy at a sporting hero's laurel, one that perhaps came 17 years too late. I learnt of it the moment I walked in home of course, ran to my room and gave a silent roar. Shed an invisible tear. (My favourite kind). I (now) selfishly think to myself. "Vindicated".

I remember when I first saw Kumble bowling for India. Tall grim looking guy with a weird action. My appreciation of his game was largely for regionalist reasons then I think. He was from Bangalore, and hence I liked him. Forgive me Mother India, I was a young fool. Later of course, as the days went by, ecstasy swept over regularly thanks to this man. 6-12 at the Hero Cup. The match in Bangalore against Australia. 88 vs South Africa. The muted appeal for Brian Lara's LBW from a bandaged face. The perfect 10. 24 wickets in Oz. Crossing 500 wickets. There are many more of course, but the greatness of the man would be greater still by not even bothering to think further more about it. I think it was Richard Nixon who said "It's only when you've been in the deepest of valleys, do you really enjoy the peaks". And how many valleys has the Smiling Assassin seen? Not a good enough fielder. (heavily redundant) Doesn't spin the ball enough. Picks only tailenders. And of course, doesn't bat well enough. For some weird reason, I hardly ever agreed with any of these. except for maybe the fielding bit. No point talking about the spin, "561" talks for itself. Picks only tailenders? How come the other 1000 bowlers in test cricket never did. What, the tailenders came out to play only for Kumble? And batting? He's number 8 on the line-up. Asking him to bat well is asking Sachin to open bowling with 90mph yorkers.

My admiration for some of these players has always bordered on irrationality. As is true, with most other people who follow cricket in our country I suppose. There were 30 people in my house that day when India was 164/8, and Anil Kumble walked out to join Javagal Srinath in the middle of the Chinnaswami Stadium. 29 people in the room told me to switch the TV off and sleep. But the 12 year old worldly being that is my brain, decided otherwise. India would win that day, and I wasn't going to miss it. (I chide my mother to this day about how a 12 year old's foresight was better than her and my father's). When the giant's jaw broke in the Windies, for some reason people were talking of how he should have retired. A faithful friend and teammate that he was, Javagal Srinath went to hilarious extents to make sure he didn't get the 10th wicket that truly belonged to Jumbo at the Kotla that lovely day in spring.

Now Anil did not need a century in test cricket to show anyone his greatness. Nor does he need anything anymore, to "show" greatness. It is right there, to be seen and known. Like the depths of the sea, an understated magnanimity that one must be a fool of Bushian proportions to not notice. What this century however did, was vindicate everything around the great man himself. A dumbledorean act of insurmountable selflessness, these runs could perhaps be the most novel of ways that Jumbo could have come up with, to say thanks. To everyone who ever stuck with him. Srinath, 30 n.o. in Bangalore, and those two wides at the Kotla. Rahul, for picking him in spite of the flimsy reasons that people come up with. A million other people, and all those insane fans like me who refused to believe that Anil Kumble could ever make a mistake.

It's november 21st, and a little over 15 hours from now, Jumbo takes the field as India's test captain. 17 years, 560 wickets and he's the captain... May the force be with you, and remember, with great power comes great responsibility...